Ryo's Fight With Death
by SerenaYuyHashiba
Summary: The story is under reconstruction but will be done very soon. I want to give TeahLeafs a special thank you for helping with the revisions.What happens to Ryo when he becomes fatally poisoned? Who is this new enemy and why does he want revenge? Disclaimer:
1. Ch 1: Prying Eyes

It was the middle of summer; the guys were outside relaxing while Mia was in the house making lunch. Kento was taking a nap on top of a hill near by, while the others talked amongst themselves.

"Hey Ryo, do you think that the Dynasty is gone for good this time?" Cye asked.

"Maybe, but we should keep an eye out for strange activity incase they do come back." Ryo replied.

"Lunch is ready!" Mia shouted.

Kento woke up in an instant and ran toward the house. The others were left still sitting there, when Kento said, "Are you coming?"

As they started toward the house Ryo felt an uneasy painful feeling going through his body.

"Is something wrong, Ryo?" Rowen asked with a worried tone in his voice.

"No." Ryo said and both Rowan and he brushed it off and went inside.

Lurking near by was a tall man with blond hair and was very physically strong. He stood there in a tree watching them, studying their movements.

Inside they were sitting at the table watching Kento scarf down the food.

"Hey Kento will you slow down and leave some for the rest of us." Cye shouted aloud.

When they got finished Ryo, Rowan and Sage went up stairs to read. Cye and Kento decided to make a trip into town for some shopping. Mia was in the kitchen cleaning up after lunch; clearing the table and washing dishes.

Ryo was inside reading a mystery novel when the same uneasy feeling flooded his body, but this time, the pain was even greater than before. The pain grew intensely stronger. His body tensed up, making it feel like the muscles were tearing away from the bone. The pain was so agonizingly strong that Ryo fell off his bed hitting the floor with a hard thud.

Rowan was very alarmed by this and went to go check on Ryo to see if anything was wrong. He found Ryo on the floor unconscious.

"Sage, get in here quick!"

Sage walked in seeing Rowan trying to wake up Ryo from his unconscious state.

A voice went off in Ryo's head, "Ryo of the Wildfire, you will not escape my wrath for killing Emperor Talpa."

Minutes later the pain stopped and Ryo came to, to see Rowan and Sage looking at him with a worried and questioning look.

"What happen?" Sage and Rowan asked in harmony.


	2. Ch 2: The Dream

"I was reading on my bed when the pain went through my body, again."

"What do you mean again? When did it happen before?" Sage asked curiously.

"I felt it when we were going into the house for lunch. I thought it was just an old injury that I received a long time ago." Ryo continued.

"All day it's like someone is doing this to make sure they have my attention. And they are doing fine job at that."

"Why do you say that?" Rowan questioned.

"Lately I've been feeling drained and weak and that sort of disturbs me, if you know what I mean?"

"Hey were home!" Kento shouted throughout the whole house.

"We'll be right there Kento!" bellowed Rowan.

"No, but we will help you." Sage said quietly

"Just don't tell Kento and Cye. I don't want them to know yet, so they don't worry. Can you two do that?"

"Yes, don't worry. We'll keep it a secret until you are ready to tell them."

"Hey Mia, when's dinner I'm starved?" Kento hollered Kento with a minute growl from his stomach.

"Soon Kento, soon." Mia said in a soft voice.

Later that night.

"Hey I'll see you guys later, I'm going to bed." Ryo yawned with a lazy sigh.

"Goodnight, Ryo." Replied Cye.

In a dark, misty, room Ryo stood there looking around to see nothing, but pain and agony amongst his friends. They were gathered around a body, covered in a white sheet. They suddenly vanished, leaving just the body. Ryo went over to look to see who was under that sheet. He went over there, and lifted the sheet to find himself.


	3. Ch 3: New Enemy Appears

Ryo woke up in a cold sweat. Looking around, he remembered that he was in Mia's house and in his bedroom. He got up and walked outside on to the balcony. He sees a shadow amongst the trees. Feeling a negative energy from the shadow, Ryo transforms into his subarmor.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ryo shouted alarming the other Ronins down stairs.

"My name is Gyaku and I will not let you get away with murder."

"Murder?" Ryo said puzzled

"Yes, you killed Emperor Talpa. That crime must not go unpunished. Dark Star Poison Strike!"

Ryo smash into a tree; a limb from the tree went straight through his right side. He pushed himself off the limb and fell to the ground wincing in pain. He stood up, to see another attack waiting for him. Ryo hit the ground for the second time.

"Ryo!" they said as they ran up there to help their friend.

"He will die rather or not you interfere with my planes." Gyaku left with these final words, "He will die."

"Ryo, Ryo are you ok?" Rowan said with a concerned look of despair.

Ryo looks up at them; their image becomes blurry and fainted out.

"Come on, we need to get him inside quickly." Rowan said with concern.

"What happen to Ryo, Sage?"

"He was hit by an energy blast and apparently more than once."

"How bad is he, Mia?" Kento looked at her with a look of desperation.

"Lets get him upstairs so I can see how bad he is."

An hour later Mia came out of his room with a look that left the guys dreading what she would say. She was trembling so bad that it was noticeable and you could hear fear and doubt in her voice when she spoke.

"He has been poisoned by the attack. He has also lost a lot of blood from the wound on his side. If, if he makes it through the night then he might live."

She fell to the ground crying. Cye and Kento took Mia downstairs and Sage stood by the door. Rowan went inside to see Ryo.

"Ryo, I'm so sorry that I was not there to protect you." Rowan said with sorrow as he sat down on Ryo's bed.

"It's ok; I didn't want you guys to get hurt. You know that there is only one way to get rid of this poison, right. We need to go to the volcano where my armor receives its power." Ryo said very weakly.

"How will it affect you?" Rowan asked with a hint of anxiety behind it.

"Rowan, it would not hurt to try what I am asking of you. Please don't make me beg you to take me there." Ryo pleaded with his friend.

"I'll talk it over with the guys and get their opinion on this." Rowan said as he got up from the bed and started walking towards the door.

"We don't have time, Rowan!" Ryo said as he fell unconscious.

"I need the others to back you up on this, not just me." Rowan said with a tinge of shame behind his words.


	4. Ch 4: Inside the Volcano

"How is he, Rowan?" Sage asked as Rowan came out of Ryo's room.

"He is sleeping. He wants us to take him to the volcano where he receives his power. But, he does not know what the effects are on his body. It might do more harm than good." Answered Rowan in a tired and worried tone.

Sage and Rowan went downstairs where Mia, Kento, and Cye were waiting. Mia was calmed down but you could still see impressions where the tears were. Rowan told them what Ryo wanted them to do.

"Should we take him, Mia?" Sage asked.

"Well, when the first war with the Dynasty at the very beginning, you guys were sent to the places where your armor received its power and were healed because of that power. I must agree with Ryo, this could be the only chance he would have to recover from his injuries. But if we are going to take him, then it needs to be now!"

"All right, Kento you go and get the car, Mia find out where the volcano is with Cye and Sage and I will get Ryo dressed, grab his subarmor orb and help him down stairs." Rowan barked as he started upstairs.

An hour and twenty – five minutes later.

"How are we going into the volcano? There is really no down except to climb and that is a little hard carrying Ryo." Kento said with a concerned voice.

"Well, I did bring some rope. We could lower him down after one of us climbs down first." Sage said with a sigh.

Alright but who is going to go?" Asked Cye.

"Well, I guess I should go." Replied Rowan.

Rowan transformed into his armor and climbed down, while the others were waiting.

"Man, I can't believe Ryo is use to this … this firey place. Well, I guess that is why he received the armor of fire." Rowan said to himself.

Rowan climbed further and further down into the fiery pit. As he neared the bottom, beads of sweat were dripping from his face and the temperature was almost unbearable. Finally he reached the bottom where there was only about five feet of ground between the cliff and the lava.

"Alright, I reached the bottom; send him down." Rowan shouted to the guys above.

"Ok, here he comes." Cye yelled.

Kento and Sage climbed down along with Ryo to make sure he does not hit the rocky wall or the rope comes undone. When they reached the bottom, Ryo started to come to and looked around.

"I never thought that I would see you down here. I didn't think that you guys could handle the heat. Where is Cye, did he stay up there?"

"Yes, you know he does not like very hot places and no offense but this is one of the hottest places in the world. Wouldn't you agree, Ryo?" Said Kento in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, I do. Rowan can you help me into the lava." Ryo said weakly.

As Ryo is lowered, his armor starts to react.

"You better get back to the surface. I don't anyone of you getting hurt." Ryo said in a pleading voice.

Rowan stood still and looked like it would take a tornado to move him.

"Rowan, I know you want to stay but I need you up there waiting for me. Please, I'll meet you guys up there. Now go!" Ryo said in a weak but stern voice.

Back at the top of the volcano, they were waiting. Sage looked at his watch constantly wondering when would Ryo come up from the pit of fire. Kento was by the car taking a nap, Cye was by a tree listening to his CD player and Rowan was staring at the opening of the volcano, waiting for Ryo to appear.

"It has been over two hours. Is he ever going to come up from there?" Sage said in a tired voice.

"There is a lot of smoke and I cannot see the bottom. Let's hope we don't have to go back down there, I don't think I can stand the heat again." Rowan said glancing back at Sage with a sarcastic smile.

Another hour and a half passed before the noticed a difference in the volcano's reaction to Ryo being down there. Finally, Rowan noticed that Ryo was floating in mid air in the middle of the volcano. He was glowing a brilliant, bright red. As Ryo was moving closer to them, Rowan could see the fire that lies in his eyes glowing brighter and bigger then he had ever seen before. He noticed that Ryo had changed, in-fact he changed more than he ever thought he would. When Ryo came to the edge of the mouth. The dirt on the ground started to become scorched by the heat coming off his armor.

"How are you felling?" asked Rowan with a shock of surprise.

"I feel fantastic." Replied Ryo with an excited edge.

"So, what happen while you were in the volcano?" Blurted out Kento.

"It was a surge of power running through me. It felt like there was lava flowing through my veins. The heat from the lava created a bubble of hot air that would suffocate a normal person became the air of life that filled me with power with each breath. The lava near the end started to replace the air bubble making it a lava bubble. Finally it broke and it was like I was being reborn into the world." Ryo tried to explain while keeping his composure.

"Well it sounds like that was an experience that you will never forget." Mia said with an expression of surprise and relief.

Ryo distransformed into his subarmor. But he could still feel the effects that the volcano had on him. Mia rushed over and tried to give him a hug, but she stopped. The heat coming of his body was still very strong, so strong that she couldn't get within two – feet from him.

"What's wrong?" Asked Rowan in surprise.

"I can't get any closer, the heat is too strong." Mia said stepping back from Ryo.

Then Rowan walked closer to Ryo but stopped right where Mia was and could feel it himself. It was strong. Too strong he thought.

"So let's get back to the manor, shall we?" Ryo said impatiently.

"Huh, Ryo maybe me and you should walk back. There is something we need to talk about." Rowan replied.

Rowan looked at Mia and could tell that she knew what they were going to talk about.

"Ok, well see back at the manor you two." Mia said.

They waited until the guys were out of sight.

"So what do you want to talk about Rowan?" Asked Ryo impatiently and with curiosity.

"Well, you see. When we got out of the places where we received our armors power, we were never able to get this much power. This time seemed to affect you more than it did before. What did _really_ happen down there?" Rowan questioned.

"I told you what happen. No more and no less." Ryo replied turning away from Rowan and started walking towards the house.


	5. Ch 5: Resubmission

They walked for about an hour before Ryo noticed that a pain was running through his side. He thought it was only the power of the armor, but the funny thing was that he did not have it on. They continued walking for ten more minutes before the pain became even stronger. The pain became so strong that it stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Rowan asked looking back at him with an expression of confusion.

"The pain, it's still there. It hurts even worse than before I went into the volcano. It is like its feeding off my body's energy. Slowly killing me." Ryo said almost doubling over in pain.

"What do you mean feeding off your body's energy?" Asked Rowan with a puzzled and worried look on his face.

"It's exactly what I said." Ryo said barely able to keep from collapsing onto the ground.

A dark cloud started to appear over where they were standing. A shadowy figure started to come out of the clouds.

"Well, I was waiting for this to happen." Gyaku said with a smile grinning from ear to ear.

"W - what do you mean?" Ryo said with a grimace a pain.

"The attack your body absorbed earlier is still being absorbed. You see, even though you went to the volcano, the poison is still running through your veins and the volcano heightens its strength because of the heat. So, I guess what I am saying is that you just made it worst. I'm guessing you have about an hour before you die or I could end your life here." Gyaku said looking very smug.

"I will not die. I'll fight you and what ever else you have to throw against me." Ryo said in pain but with fury in his voice.

There was a bright light coming from Ryo and then there was one from Rowan.

"Flare Up now." Ryo screamed.

Ryo's attack missed and then there was a big puff of smoke.

"I'll let the poison kill you." Gyaku said as his body slowly disappeared into nothing.

"He's gone." Rowan said.

"Ro – Rowan – n - n." Ryo said before he collapsed to the ground.

Rowan turned around to just his friend lying on the grass. He grabbed his cell and called Sage. As the phone rang, Rowan checked Ryo's vitals to make sure they were at least stable.

"Hello?" Sage answered.

"Sage, it's me." Rowan blurted out with a scared tone.

"Rowan, what's wrong?" Sage asked with quick response.

"You need to get back here as fast as you can. Ryo is _still _in pain and has collapsed."

"Okay, we'll be there as fast as we can. Mia turn the car around, we need to go help Ryo and Rowan." Sage said to Mia with a look of paleness.

Mia pulled off the side of the road and made a U-turn. Rowan sat there trying to comfort him, but no matter how hard he tried, but the pain seemed to be getting worse. After a few minutes, Ryo woke up but still in a vast amount of pain.

"Rowan, we have to go back to the volcano." Ryo replied.

"No, Ryo you heard Gyaku. The pain will increase as the heat increases." Rowan said with

"I know but it might be the only way to get rid of it." Ryo pleaded with Rowan.

"Well, alright." Rowan finally agreed.

They traveled back up to the volcano and since Rowan could not lower him in so he just threw him in. Ryo kept on falling and falling until he hit the lava. Rowan waited at the rim of the volcano about 15 minuets until they others showed up.

"Where is Ryo?" Asked Sage with a look a much distress.

"He's back inside the volcano." Rowan sighed.

"WHAT!" They all said together.

"Well, I sort of agree with Ryo on his idea." Rowan said with a little hesitation in his voice.

"Well, what is _THAT_." Kento blurted out with irritation in his voice.

"He is back inside the volcano where, I hope, he will live through this experience." Rowan said looking back inside the volcano with a worried look crossing his face.

"What happen while we were gone?" Asked Cye looking at Rowan, knowing that he was worried.

"Gyaku was here and told us that the poison running through his veins was only heighten from the volcano's heat increasing the power of the poison. He said that Ryo would die because of the poison." Rowan said sitting down onto the ground putting his head in his hands and looking tired and exhausted.

Hours passed outside the volcano but inside it seemed like an eternity. There was a burning sensation running through Ryo's body creating a huge inferno of fire throughout his whole body. The power that was flowing through him was increasing to a high level. The pain was also increasing with the power.

Outside the volcano, they were standing around when Mia said "maybe I should go and get something to eat for all of us?"

"Sure that sound great, Mia." Kento said with a sigh a relief in his tone.

"I'll be back within an hour. If anything happens call me." Mia shouted as she started walking to the jeep.

"We'll do that. Bye." Sage yelled.

Sage stood there and watched Mia drive off.

"I wonder what will happen if Ryo has to be in the volcano any longer?" Sage asked to the group but still watching Mia drive off.

"I have no real idea but I do think that if he does stay in there too long then he might die from the power alone that is probably running through him." Rowan said with a long dreary sigh, looking at the volcano.

"I hope I can live through this. I need to live this. I have to live through this for the guys, for… for Mia. I got to live through this for Mia." Ryo said to himself.

All of a sudden, a flare inside of him consumed him, creating an aura that started the healing process. A fire lit up in his eyes, burning bright as the sun.

"It's time to end this." Ryo said as he finished the healing process and looked up towards the opening of the volcano.

The aura that surrounded him gave way. The healing process was done. He didn't get out, though. He wanted to make sure that the poison that was in him was gone for good. He stayed for at least another hour, maybe two at the most.

Ryo looked up at the opening of the volcano again and felt an evil presence coming.

"ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!" Ryo yelled calling his armor to arms.

A burst of flames came out of the volcano. The other Ronin's looked at it in awe. They never have seen a power that rivaled the Inferno, but this was strange considering it came from inside. An explosion of lava came out of the volcano, pouring over the top. Giving way to a ball of fire. The fireball disappeared, showing Ryo.

Ryo walked down the side and when he got to the bottom, he said, "It is time we get rid of the Dynasty once and for all."


	6. Ch 6: Final Sacrifice

They guys looked at him. They were still in shock. It took them a few minutes to under stand what he said, but then they nodded, they all knew what he meant but how they were going to do it was another.

"Where is the nearest gate, Rowan?" Ryo asked.

"The nearest gate would be near the lake near Mia's house." Replied Rowan.

"Then that's where we will go." Ryo spat.

As they traveled to the gate, Ryo felt Gyaku's presence near by. The hatred in Ryo grew; the hatred in him was the cause of his friends being attacked repetitively and having them suffer again and again.

"Ha … Ha … Ha…"

The sound was all around them.

"Come on out if you are not afraid to fight me! Come out and face me!" Ryo said with hatred that echoed very clearly in his voice.

Rowan, Sage and the others were surprised at the hatred in his voice. They never heard Ryo as mad or full of hatred in his entire life. There was a fire that burned so intensely in Ryo's eyes that would never be seen again. Gyaku appeared. Ryo revealed his swords; he was ready to fight to the death.

"Dark Star Poison Strike!" Yelled Gyaku.

"Flare Up Now!" Bellowed Ryo.

The strike on Ryo never made it passed the barrier around him. His powers had grown incredibly, but Rowan was curious and scared about what kind of power the White Armor of Inferno when it was called. There was a bright light coming from Ryo and they all knew that he was calling upon the white armor. Ryo transformed into the white armor. It seemed to glow whiter than it usually did and there was a soft but obvious red glow surrounding it.

"That power is exactly what I wanted to see. Now I'll get my chance to take that armor from you because you don't deserve to have it." Gyaku said that with a grin that would make you cringe.

"Guys, I want you to stay out of this. This is my fight." Ryo said looking back at the guys with a stern look on his face that also implied that he would stop anyone that tried to interfere.

The fight began, Rowan and the others were socked that Ryo told them to stay out of it and even more shocked that they were forced to stay out of it. The fight was long and very brutal. You could see blood running down Ryo face and on the right side of his arm. There also was blood running down Gyaku's face and from his stomach. Ryo was suffering under the strain of the Inferno, Rowan and Sage could both see it. They were the only ones that could really see it. Kento and Cye never could tell about the pain Ryo went through when he was transformed into the White Armor of Inferno.

"If he continues to fight like this, then he will lose this battle." Rowan said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Ryo was ready to end this fight. He gathered all of his anger, hatred and strength to put altogether into one tremendous attack. He knew that this might not be enough, so he gathered what of his life energy he could to put into the attack.

"I've got to end this. I've got to keep the guys safe from any more harm. They are the only family I got. This is for you. Rage of Inferno!" Screamed Ryo with all of his strength, hatred, sorrow, love, and all the other emotions that he had felt in the past years.

There was a huge flash of light coming from Ryo. Ryo took one final look at the guys.

"Thank you for always being there for me. Goodbye!" Ryo said with a look of sadness but grateful to have had them for him.

The guys' eyes filled with fear and terror; they knew what he meant. Ryo finally looked away firing one last final attack against Gyaku; the light from the attack was blinding. The other Ronins covered their eyes from the light. Gyaku hit the ground with a hard thump; he was torn to shreds. Ryo also hit the ground with a hard thump. Neither of them were moving. Rowan was the first to come out of the shock that hit them from what he said. He ran to his side and checked his pulse. The white armor disappeared, then the red armor also disappeared and finally his sub-armor was gone. You could see that his cloths were soaked in blood. He was breathing but unconscious. Sage knelt down and started to heal Ryo. Finally Sage looked at Sage.

"Let's get him back to the manor and get him cleaned up. I did all I could but his injuries are still very extensive and he will need lots of time to recover from them." Sage said looking at Rowan with a look of sadness on his face.

5 hours later

Rowan was upstairs keeping an eye on him when Sage walked in.

"How is he?" Sage asked looking at Rowan.

"It is too early to tell. We'll have to wait and see." Rowan Replied.

Over the next few days, Sage, Rowan, Kento and Cye took turns watching Ryo. They did not want to leave him alone in-case something was to happen, so they took shifts throughout the day. Sage was sitting with him, reading a book. Cye, Kento and Mia were in town during some shopping. Rowan was downstairs getting food ready for Cye when they got back from town. Ryo's body twitched. Sage looked up from his book. His body twitched again.

"Rowan! Get up here quick." Sage screamed.

Rowan dropped the knife he was using to cut up some carrots. He raced up the stairs and barged into Ryo's room. Just as he got in there, Ryo's eyes started to flutter open.

"Sage? Rowan? What happen? Is Gyaku dead?" Ryo asked, straining to sit up.

"Calm down Ryo. Everything is all right. Gyaku is dead and you need to rest. You've been unconscious for three days and you are still in very bad shape." Sage said forcing Ryo to lay back down.

Ryo looked down and saw himself bandaged from head to toe.

"You need to rest, I was considering on taking you back up to the volcano but in your condition I didn't want to risk losing you. You are very valuable to this team, to us as a family. If you are ready in a week, then it might be possible. But not now, you are too weak. I'll go down and make you something to eat." Rowan said looking at Ryo with concern and possible consideration in his eyes.

Days passed and he grew stronger. His friends took care of him and every so often, while they were training, they could see Ryo looking off his balcony watching them train. It was too much of an effort for him to go up and down stairs. When he wasn't watching them training, he was in bed resting. After a month passed, he was able to start training with his friends, his family, his comrades, the Ronin Warriors.


End file.
